Romans 7 - Why do I do the Things I do?

“¹⁵I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”

Here Paul is pouring out his heart saying what we all struggle with. It is our sinful nature that keeps us from doing what we know is right AND heads us right down that path of sin that we know is wrong.

Isn’t that how it is for Christians all over? It is difficult to understand why we want to do the good and right things, but we don’t YET we definitely don’t want to do the wrong or sinful things, but that’s exactly what we do. Doesn’t make sense, does it? That is the sinful nature, our flesh, that makes it feel so “natural” to do the wrong thing, and love it.

So if we know this, and this is our sinful nature, how can we stop it? Well, we can’t, but Jesus can. “²⁵Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” That is why He came to die for our sins, to hold the power over sin and death, so we may be forgiven and live eternal. So we too must die to our sinful flesh daily and follow Jesus. Where we lack the power, He has power in abundance and is longing to share. So when we find ourselves being drawn to the sinful things, we need to turn it over to Jesus and let His power and love fill us with the strength to resist temptation and turn from sin. If we do, He will rescue us from sin, if we don’t we will be right back in the same boat we were before we accepted Jesus, on the highway to hell. We don’t have to be strong enough to fight, we just have to know where to go to find someone who is, Jesus Christ. Amen?!